Azadi (Dreamfall)
The Azadi are the people of a powerful empire in Dreamfall from a continent several days' travel to the west of the Northlands, whose capital city is Sadir. It is also the name of their empire. The Azadi are a matriarchial society run by a group of empresses known as the Six, though a shadowy male figure called the Prophet is also a guiding influence. Oddly, for an Arcadian empire, they have developed sophisticated technology. History ' The Azadi were not featured in The Longest Journey. The closest mention is a snippet from Jemein the Discoverer's Travels in the Northlands where he mentions the Far West, to which he was "carried on good will and Destiny by Shadow Ships, to the strange and unknown cliffs of a World unseen by most, a World of an unfamiliar Tongue and customs, a World of Great Wonder and Mysticism." The Alatien also have a legend about a beautiful princess from lands far to the west. Ten years ago, the Azadi came to Marcuria during the Tyren occupation. They drove out the 'trolls' and seemingly annihilated the race, leaving a garrison in Marcuria to protect its people while they finished the Tyren off. Gradually that garrison grew to a larger and larger population, and the Azadi began making their influence felt. Despite their insistence that they are not a conquering force, the Azadi are now effectively occupying Marcuria in place of the Tyren. Many Marcurians have welcomed the Azadi presence. They shattered the Tyren and shared their technology, and the ever-present soldiers are a small price to pay for stability and peace. Others, however, especially the magical population, see the Azadi as an insiduous threat. The Azadi fear magic, and that means the non-human and magical races (collectively "Magicals") are forced to live inside a ghetto under the pretence of keeping order. For a few of the more prejudiced humans, this is a good thing. Not surprisingly, an underground movement of Rebels has sprung up with April Ryan as one of the figureheads, whom the Azadi know only by reputation as the Scorpion. The Azadi's religious intolerance led them to scatter the Sentinel and demolish their temple. The Rebels are interested in a huge tower the Azadi have almost finished constructing on the very same site, as it presents a clear focus for their activities. The Prophet seems to be behind the building of the tower, and is anxious that it be finished in time for its planned inauguration by the Six. Curiously, when April follows the Prophet into the ancient ruins in the Underground Caverns she discovers the Dream Chamber directly beneath the tower, and can discern a depiction of the tower carved on the outside. It is entirely possible that the construction of the tower on this site is what drew the Azadi to Marcuria in the first place. The epilogue to Dreamfall sees the tower surrounded by the swirling form of what appears to be a Chaos Storm, and a woman's laughter is faintly audible in the background. '''Society ' The Azadi have a complex matriarchal society where women make up the entirety of government, leaving men to military matters. The Six empresses form the top of the hierarchical pyramid, while the 36 empty seats in the Council Room are probably filled by the "Council" Kian mentions. Commander Vamon suspects that someone powerful protects Kian Alvane, "Someone inside the Sixth Circle". Kian himself uses this term to refer to the where War Garden is, and that person is arguably his mentor, Garmon Koumas. It can be assumed (but not taken for granted) that the Sixth is the innermost of six circles, in which reside the War Garden, Apostles, the Council, and the Six themselves. The governor of the Azadi forces in the Northlands is Sister Sahya, whose title is "Emissary". Although obeisant to the Six and the Prophet she seems to have her own agenda, as is evinced in her distrust of the empresses' sending of Kian to deal with the Scorpion. Indeed, it may be assumed that women of power are referred to with the honorific epithet "Sister", while Kian's recognition of the handmaid who summons him to the Council Room as "Child Ena" would seem to indicate that those younger females who have not yet attained a station bear the title "Child". It is not spelled out but there appears to be a caste distinction, as when Vamon complains of Kian's elevated position despite being an orphan. The Azadi obviously do not discriminate by birth when it comes to talent, but that does not mean there is no ill feeling from high-born people to low. This might indicate that their society has only recently (say, in the last few centuries) changed from an oligarchy to a meritocracy. They also appear to be matrilineal, as Vamon refers to Kian as a "motherless boy". The Azadi refer to themselves as 'Trueborn', although the exact meaning of that term is still the subject of speculation. Regardless, it means that 'ethnic' Azadi are considered of a higher station than that of provincial citizens. Brian Westhouse has visited the Empire and its capital Sadir, and reports on the good hospitality of its citizens. He does note, however, that as a man he was somewhat restricted in his movements, but being as he was of the human race, he was treated fairly well. '''Leaders The Six are the empresses of the Azadi Empire. Their seat of power is within the Sixth Circle in Sadir, in a chamber they share with the Council. They are represented by Sister Sahya, the Azadi Emissary in Marcuria, and by their Apostles, including Kian Alvane. They are both the religious and secular rulers of the Azadi and are said to pass on the will of the Goddess through their rule. The Six also gave the order for the construction of the Azadi Tower located in Marcuria, but their motives are unknown. Their visible goals, however, appear to be gaining converts to the Goddess, either through teachings or warfare, dispersing their technology, and military expansionism, especially into the Northlands.Their relationship to the Prophet is also indeterminate, as while he is a seemingly foreign male in a xenophobic matriarch society, he would naturally not be held in such high regard and trust as the Six do. Meanwhile, there lies the implication that he is manipulating the Six into fulfilling cryptic plans of his own, especially when he urges the Six to order the "conversion" of a specific Marcurian rebel leader, Scorpion. The Six all appear to be young women, no older than thirty, who dress in identical grey smocks. Their names given as Abya, Yona, Maha, Calia, Hanna, and Lenya. It is possible they are not identified by a family name once they become an empress. The Prophet is a mysterious man in a black cloak seen by an eavesdropping April Ryan to be giving orders to Sister Sahya. She comments that it is odd to see an Azadi woman taking orders from a man, and the Emissary actually seems worried. The Prophet does not speak audibly - in fact, his voice is just a series of whispers. Some might say it resembles the speech of the Draic Kin, as it seems very quiet and sibilant. Given the Azadi's devotion to the Goddess, it would seem that he is a prophet for that divinity. He also appears to walk quite carefully, as if he has been lamed at some point in his life. The Prophet does not just command the obedience of the Emissary, however, as he seems to hold some influence over The Six. It is he who ordered the assassination of the Scorpion, as part of the Azadi's imperial conquest of the Northlands. This seems to be part of the grand prophecy by which he holds the Azadi in thrall. When Kian leaves the Six, they say of his mission: "The Prophet was adamant. There is much resting on this task. It is the last obstacle, the Prophet said. When it is done ... The light of the Goddess will wash across the world like a tidal wave, drowning all those who lack Faith." He also appears intent that the Azadi Tower be finished in time for its planned inauguration. Given what we see at the end of the game, it is likely that he is the one who originally suggested the construction of the Tower. The Prophet knows of the caves under Marcuria and seems able to command the Grubbers who live in the catacombs. He also seems to make himself unnoticeable, as he walks into the crowded Journeyman Inn and then apparently vanishes, even before the eagle-eyed Benrime Salmin, a Seer. He also seems privy to the "Banda Magic" the Grubbers wield to open doors in the ancient ruins. Following him, April is led to the Dream Vortex beneath the Azadi Tower, but he then seems to disappear. His knowledge of the Dream Chamber beneath the Tower (with its 'blueprints' of the Tower) encourages the theory that he was the major catalyst in its construction. This Prophet has been the subject of much speculation, including theories that he is, in fact, Brian Westhouse possessed by the Undreaming. Whomever he is, he is clearly held in both awe and fear by the Azadi, and is regarded as ranking at least equal to the Six. He has a personal interest in the construction of the Azadi Tower, particularly that it is completed on time, and wields at the very least a small degree of magic (enough to open the tunnel into the caves), which is unusual for someone aligned with the Azadi. Religion ' The Azadi are near-fanatically religious and worship an unnamed Goddess. Though they try to convert via sermons, the Six also have a more to-the-point approach, using Apostles such as Kian to convert with steel. The Azadi believe this ensures rebirth into a perfect afterlife. April is able to overhear one of the soldiers cursing "Azmael", and it is possible that this is the name of their Satan (from Hebr. 'opponent') figure. They also refer to the Scorpion as a "daemon". Despite their religious convictions, or because of them, the Azadi have a pathological aversion to magic, although their own ranks are stocked with powerful thaumaturgists. Na'ane suspects that their fear of magic extends only so far as that which they do not control. The fact that they do not only fear magic and magic-users, but also the magical races may indicate that the Azadi also fear anything they do not understand. '''Technology ' Everywhere the Azadi go they bring their steam technology with them. This technology provides several modern conveniences such as the swift Cloudships and Benrime Salmin's beer tap, and has given rise to a whole new kind of merchant. April guesses that some other uses might include to "heat houses, flush toilets, generate power". She does worry about their ubiquity, however, and the fact that they seem to keep operating at night when people are in bed. There are even machines on the houses at Crab Bend, a Marcurian street which is now deserted, so their purpose may not be entirely servile. April and Na'ane note that the technology "combines magic and technology", and some fans have speculated that, given the dream conspiracy, they may be being used to harvest the dreams of Marcuria's citizens. Iron seems to be much more available in the Far West than in the Northlands, and the Azadi make extensive use of it in their machines and weapons. Interestingly, as Brian Westhouse discusses with Benrime Salmin gold seems to have replaced the Aren as currency in Ayrede. This may be due either to the Azadi having imposed it upon them, some Arcadian glitch with Gordon's having ascended the Tower in the Guardian's Realm, or perhaps just a simple inconsistency between TLJ and Dreamfall. 'Cloudships '''were brought to Marcuria by the Azadi. They seem to move at about 5 times the speed of sea-going ships. Two kinds of cloudship are seen clearly in Dreamfall. The first is the NPS cloudship used by Zoe Castillo, Brian Westhouse and Crow. Brian resignedly tells Zoe that this is an older model, though it is perfectly serviceable. This ship consists of a huge balloon, presumably filled with a lighter-than-air gas like helium, 1 mast and 8 sails on top for propulsion, a passenger pod on one side, and a rudder counterbalanced on the other for steering. The second type is the cloudship used by Azadi soldiers - these are much bigger, and appear be faster and more maneuverable. They would seem to be troop carriers rather than battleships, as the invasion at the climax of Dreamfall is absent of the sounds of bombardment. They have 5 masts each with a sail, and larger passenger compartments. When airborne, they resemble large sailing ships. They seem to use another form of propulsion, such as a propeller (possibly driven by a steam engine). It does however seem unlikely that they are kept aloft through mechanical means alone, and magic is likely to play a part in their running. A cloudship seems to require an experienced pilot, although while Brian Westhouse first tells Zoe that the ship is not as simple as it looks, once they are airborne he says that the ship largely flies itself. '''Military ' The Azadi's military roles seem to be filled by males. The Commander-in-Chief of forces in the Northlands is Commander Vamon, whereas Kian represents the Apostles, an elite group of assassins. The two served together at some point in the past, although under what circumstances we do not know. Azadi citizens (including Ayredan provincials) are eligible to join the army at the age of 14, although it is curious that Chawan, apparently human, was enslaved and forced to fight for them. This may indicate that his people are a magical race of some sort, or could just be the legacy of a past imperial policy. A typical tour-of-duty is 6 years, and will often see soldiers sent to far-flung provinces like Ayrede. Of Azadi tactics we know precious little, although we witness two military exercises. The first is the skirmish in a Northlands forest (possibly Riverwood), when April's band of 4 Rebels engages an Azadi squad of the same number. These Azadi appear to be a scouting party, but they are unprepared for the conditions and they are too heavily armoured to move effectively. The second is the raid on the Rebels' Swamp City, in which many soldiers and a small fleet of Cloudships take part. Command Vamon himself leads the attack, probably to have the pleasure of arresting Kian. At the time of Dreamfall, an extra contingent of several thousand soldiers is expected in Marcuria in time for the inauguration of the Tower. They will undoubtedly be housed in the new Barracks. While it is being built, the army makes camp in tents on Tower Square. '''Apostles are a form of elite soldier in the Azadi culture. Where the Azadi usually try to convert people to the worship of their Goddess via philosophical argument or cultural conquest, sometimes more desperate means are needed. The Azadi seem to believe, from comments by the Six, that a death at the hands of one whose faith in the Goddess is unquestioning, ensures the victim a rebirth in Her love and favour, whatever they did in life. A death in this manner is euphemistically called a 'conversion'. Helpfully, this belief also serves to remove powerful threats to the Azadi way of life. An Apostle serves to fulfill this purpose, acting as part ambassador, part soldier and part assassin - given Azadi culture it is assumed that Apostles are usually male. From comments by Commander Vamon, it seems that Apostles are often of notable, if not noble, blood, and they are also highly skilled with the sword (presumably this includes martial arts as well), training in the War Garden in Sadir. Kian Alvane mentions he is not a 'scholar' and therefore does not think it is his place to question the actions of the Six; this implies Apostles are given a detailed but very specialised education. Once trained, Apostles are dispatched according to the direct orders of the Six. If Kian's attitude is typical, Apostles are quietly confident in their actions because they believe they are both protected and guided by the Goddess. According to their beliefs, they do not see their duties as murder, rather as serving the individual they are targeting. However violent their actions, they are fundamentally in the victim's interests because they will then be reborn in the sight of the Goddess... one way or another. 'Law and Order ' The omnipresent soldiers keep Marcuria a safe place, unless you are a Magical. They frequently raid the Magic Ghetto under the pretext of finding terrorists. When someone is arrested by the Azadi, they are held at the old prison of Friar's Keep before being sent to Sadir for trial and, invariably, beheading. Although Friar's Keep is still administered by native Marcurians, there is always an Azadi soldier present, and the prison has become little more than a glorified way-station for political prisoners. Beheading is the favourite punishment of the Azadi: employed for treason, heresy and witchcraft. Their punishment for smuggling is the binding of the hands and feet before being weighed down with metal and dropped into the ocean. However, Kian finds the prospect of hanging - once a common punishment in Marcuria - to be barbaric. Category:Enemy Faction Category:Allied Faction Category:Species Category:Enemy Species Category:Allied Species